


Storms

by BettyHT



Series: Toni [5]
Category: Bonanza
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-10-03
Packaged: 2019-07-24 15:11:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 24,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16177658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BettyHT/pseuds/BettyHT
Summary: 5th in the Toni series. With the twins' birth and Hoss' wedding, it seemed that things were looking so good, but trouble hits hard and then hits again as Adam and Toni have to weather some major trouble with the help of their families against a clever villain.  The epilogue is a Christmas story with a touch of humor.





	Storms

Storms

Chapter 1

As Hoss and Minnie drove away from their wedding celebration and Ben congratulated Adam on how well he had orchestrated the party, Adam turned to smile at his father and then suddenly leaned forward and grasped his father's shoulder.

"Did you have a little too much of my punch? I made it strong just like you asked."

Ben reached out to wrap his arms around Adam as his son's knees buckled and he fell toward the ground. Ben felt his left hand getting wet and knew before he looked that it would be blood. Adam was looking at his father and there was agony etched on his face.

"Don't tell Hoss. It will be all right. Don't tell Hoss."

Then he could say no more as the spears of pain in his back overwhelmed his ability to speak. Doctor Paul Martin had seen Adam fall and rushed to his side. He knew it was bad because Adam drank very little since being married so he could not be drunk. Joe rushed over as well, and Ben told him to go get Toni but to tell her only that Adam was hurt so she wouldn't panic too much.

When Joe told her that, Toni felt like someone had socked her in the gut. She handed AC to her sister and ran to the front of the yard where Joe said Adam was and that he was hurt. When she got there, the doctor and Ben were trying to get Adam's coat off of him, and he was groaning in agony with every movement and tug on the sleeve of his coat.

"Just cut if off of him. Don't hurt him any more."

Opening his bag quickly, Paul retrieved a scalpel and sliced carefully through the length of the sleeve. With that removed, the coat was slid away from Adam's back. There was a lot of blood but Dr. Martin began probing to see what the damage was. He was offered a stack of napkins from the table and he used those to press against the wound when he found it.

"Now we need to get him in the house, but I think we need to carry him using a firm support. Every little movement causes him great pain so we have to minimize that. Charlie, do we have something here we can use?"

Charlie rushed toward one of the tables and got some of the women and men to clear the food from it. It was a tabletop just sitting on supports so he carried that back to where Adam was lying. Paul nodded when he saw it because it would work very well for their purpose. He asked for a blanket to cushion it and that was quickly provided. They very carefully slid the blanket covered tabletop underneath Adam moving him as little as possible with Paul keeping pressure on the wound at all times. Then five of the men lifted the makeshift stretcher leaving room for Paul to walk alongside and keep pressure on the wound. They couldn't carry him inside that way so Paul had them bring the supports to the porch and place the tabletop back on them. Charlie got some canvas from the barn and draped the front of the porch. Marcus and Lily found lanterns and lamps and placed the lamps on the table on the porch and hung the lanterns from the hooks that were there for that purpose. That gave Doctor Paul a makeshift surgery.

While the men were moving Adam, Toni and Teresa brought sheets and a stack of bandages from the house. Hop Sing placed pans of water on the stove in the kitchen to boil. He brought the first warm water to the doctor so he could wash his hands and wash some of the blood from Adam's back to see what the damage was. Paul asked Hop Sing to stay, and asked if Lily or Marcus could bring the rest of the water once it was boiling. Roy, Ben, Joe, and Toni's family were sent to clean up the food and wedding clutter, and other guests went home so they would not be in the way. Teresa sat with Toni inside as they watched over the babies and the other children. The rest of the family joined them when the work outside was done which didn't take very long with so many helping. The wedding decorations inside seemed a stark contrast to what was happening on the porch of the home. Discreetly, the family began removing the brightest and boldest of the decorations. Toni didn't even seem to notice what they were doing. After about an hour, Hop Sing came to the door and asked Ben and Joe to come as the doctor needed them. Toni got up and walked to the door with them.

"I'm going!"

Knowing he wouldn't win that argument, Ben shook his head and walked behind her to the porch. Paul wanted Ben and Joe to help lift and hold Adam as he and Hop Sing wound bandages tightly around his chest and over his shoulder. There was an extremely thick and wide wad of bandage on Adam's back and his upper left arm was bandaged as well. Ben wanted to ask questions, but Paul only said 'later' as he concentrated on getting the bandages tight enough to do their job but not so tight as to constrict breathing. Adam grimaced and groaned through the whole procedure. After the bandages were around his chest, Paul used more to secure his left arm to his side.

"I gave him something for the pain, but the pain is so intense that the medication hasn't given him complete relief yet. There, we're done. Thank you, Hop Sing, once again for your invaluable assistance."

Toni had been standing to the side with tears trailing down her face and looked like she was about to faint. Taking her arm, Joe wanted her to sit, but she asked to be next to Adam. As Joe helped to steady her, she took hold of Adam's right hand and looked at the doctor dreading what he was going to say, but he didn't say what she feared.

"Luckily, again, it's not nearly as bad as it looks. Your husband's luck has held once more. It was a bullet wound to his shoulder blade. The bullet entered from the side and tore through his arm and a lot of flesh on his back to get where it was going, and that is why there was so much blood. The wounds themselves are shallow. The pain is mostly due to a broken shoulder blade. The bullet imbedded in it and there are fractures radiating out from the impact point. I have cleaned out the wound, removed some small bone fragments, and stitched the wounds on his back and on his arm. There is no separation so it should heal without any long-term damage. His recovery will be painful especially in the first week. As the bone starts to heal, the pain will diminish significantly."

Relieved beyond measure, Toni stroked Adam's cheek and spoke softly to him to reassure him that she was there and he would be all right. Ben however was incensed.

"Those damn cowboys shooting off those pistols. Someone could have been killed!"

Paul reached out for Ben's arm to calm him but his words were more incendiary than calming. "Ben, I removed what was left of a rifle slug from Adam. It wasn't anyone at the wedding. He was shot intentionally. Would you tell me exactly what you remember just before Adam fell to the ground?"

Ben was shocked by Paul's assertion. He wondered why anyone would purposely shoot Adam especially at Hoss' wedding. But he closed his eyes and tried to remember what had happened.

"I said to Adam that he sure knew how to throw a wedding and that Hoss and Minnie were going to remember it forever. He turned toward me, smiled, and then leaned toward me and grabbed my shoulder. The next thing I knew, he was falling."

Sheriff Coffee had stepped out of the house and was listening to everything at that time. He needed to know how Adam was and needed to start questioning witnesses to try to determine what had happened. What he heard meant that much of the questioning would no longer be necessary. He heard Ben's short summation but what the doctor said next meant that he was going to be looking for someone who wanted Adam Cartwright dead.

"I think that whoever shot Adam was trying to kill him. I wondered as I worked on Adam as to why someone would shoot someone from the side. The odds of hitting that person are a lot smaller that way. But Ben you said he turned toward you at your remark. Whoever fired must have pulled the trigger at that moment. If he had not turned, the bullet would have hit him in the left side of his chest and would probably have killed him instantly." Paul regretted those words as soon as he said them and heard the gasp from Toni. However the truth was out. Someone had meant to murder Adam, and it was probably best that the family knew it.

Joe got some men to help carry Adam, and they very carefully brought him into the house and up the stairs to his bedroom. They laid him on the bed facedown and removed the pillows. He would have to rest this way for several days at least and perhaps up to a week, but the doctor assured Toni he would be fine once the broken bone healed. Joe looked at his father once they returned downstairs.

"Pa, are we going to tell Hoss?"

"No, Adam is going to be all right. Hoss can't do anything for him anyway so there's no need to intrude on his honeymoon. The first thing Adam said after being shot was not to tell Hoss. We can respect his wishes."

"I think I should stay to help. Teresa is going to stay too."

"Good. Hop Sing will ride back with me. I'll get Cochise in the stable for you before I go. You stay here in the house and keep everyone safe. I'll send a some men back to watch the area and look for any intruders."

Charlie helped Ben get Cochise in the stable and then cleaned up the porch area. He smashed up the tabletop, which was stained with Adam's blood and took it to the bunkhouse to burn in the stove. Tony hugged his daughter and said he would be back early the next day to help with whatever was needed. Teresa told him to take Davy home, but to reassure him that Adam would recover. Maria hugged Toni, and then gathered her children to ride back with Toni. Once outside, they asked Charlie to put the horse for Teresa's carriage in the stable or the corral because she was staying. They all climbed in the buckboard then, and went home to the R&D. The last to leave were Ben with Hop Sing. Ben knew that the next morning he would need to put on a good act so that Hoss could leave on his honeymoon without any worries.

On Sunday morning, Hoss and Minnie drove the carriage back to the Ponderosa after eating the cake and some food that was in a basket prepared by Hop Sing. It was their honeymoon so they had eaten the cake first. Because they were still hungry after their busy night and the wedding the day before, Minnie made a pot of coffee and they ate the sandwiches in the basket and some of the fruit. They packed their small bags then and were ready to go. When they arrived at the main house, Ben came out to greet them.

"Where's Joe? In bed? I wouldn't think he went to church."

"He's at Adam's place to help out." It wasn't a lie but it was an omission so Ben hoped it wasn't too much of a lapse in his morals.

"Never would have suspected little brother would offer to help clean up like that. Maybe he's really growing up now."

"Hoss, I have your pack horse ready, and Chubb and Molly are saddled up and ready to go. Tighten the cinches and you can head out for your honeymoon. I'll take care of the carriage."

Hoss and Minnie were going to spend the next six days at the line shack nearest the reserve lands. Adam and Hoss had done a few repairs and made sure it was ready for them to take up residence. The plan was for them to enjoy the solitude, nature, and of course, each other. With a big grin, Hoss thanked his father and went to lead the horses out of the corral. As they rode away, Ben let out a big sigh. His middle son deserved this time, and he was glad he was able to send him on his way without letting him know about Adam. Hoss would be upset when he returned and found out, but they would deal with that when it happened. The fact that Adam wanted it this way would go a long way toward soothing any hurt that Hoss felt.

Six days later, Hoss and Minnie packed up to head home. Hoss felt relaxed and complete. He was hoping that there was a baby on the way and was disappointed when Minnie said it would be weeks before they would have a clue to that. They rode to the Ponderosa main house and dropped off the packs and the packhorse. No one seemed to be home so they decided to swing by their building site before going to Adam's house. They were surprised and a bit disappointed to find that no work had been done in their absence. Materials were stacked all around so that wasn't the issue. They decided speculation wasn't worth the effort. They would have to wait and let Adam explain.

However, Adam was busy at that moment. Doctor Martin was at his home and had decided that Adam could finally get out of bed. First he was directed to sit on the side of the bed and his arm was loosened from his side and then strapped to his chest. Doc Martin helped him use the chamber pot, which he found humiliating no matter how many times in the past he had been unable to do it himself and required assistance. At least Paul was all business about it not like Joe who covered his embarrassment at the situation by cracking jokes, which only made Adam feel more self-conscious. Toni spread a blanket over the rocker and Paul helped Adam stand and walk to the rocker and sit. Toni pulled the corners of the blanket over his shoulders and over his legs, and also used a second blanket to cover him from the waist down preventing any chance that he would be embarrassed if the first blanket shifted.

"I miss my sons. Is there a chance I could hold them now."

"As long as someone is with you to help if you need it, I see no reason why not."

Adam had his first big smile in a week with that assurance. Toni went to the nursery and returned with Benjy first. On Adam's chest he cooed and slapped his hands repeatedly on Adam's chest. He was happy. He had missed his father and was relieved to be back on that familiar chest again. He was so rambunctious though that Paul asked Toni to hand Benjy to him and to get AC. When she laid AC on his father's chest, he placed his hands on Adam's chest and pushed his head up to look at his father's face. Adam talked soothingly to him and he lowered his head to Adam's chest and promptly fell asleep.

"AC is a lot like you. He even looks a lot like you already with the dimples, curly black hair, long lashes, and darker skin tone. Benjy's got the dimples. But he acts more like Joe and is going to be big like Hoss I think."

"Toni, that last one is a scary thought. It might be best if you never say it again."

Paul laughed and said he would be on his way as everything seemed to be fine. He told them he knew the way out so that Toni could stay in the room with Adam. She sat in the smaller rocker and Benjy fell asleep in her arms. A short time later they heard footsteps in the hallway. Adam mouthed 'Hoss' to Toni so she wasn't surprised when the newlyweds appeared in the doorway.

Hoss was relieved to see Adam sitting up. From what Joe and Teresa had told them downstairs they were afraid that he would still be flat in bed and told him that. Adam told them that Paul said he was recovering fine and could walk a short distance and sit up now.

"I feel more like a human this way."

"Adam, I am so upset that no one told Hoss or me what happened."

"I didn't want them to. There was nothing you could do, and it would only have detracted from your honeymoon. I couldn't let my 'daughter' have less than a perfect honeymoon now could I?"

Minnie walked over and kissed Adam on the cheek and told him he was the best. Adam could tell that Hoss was still upset and asked him to tell him what was bothering him. Hoss said he could have been there helping Adam.

"I had Joe filling in for you, but I have to admit that I am happy you are back, and we can send the youngest brother home."

They all laughed at that, and with the laughter, they knew that everything was going to be all right. But of course the worry they still had was who had shot Adam and why.

 

Chapter 2

Thunder rattled the panes of glass in the south facing windows and Toni was startled as she walked down the stairs with Benjy nearly causing her to tumble face forward. Minnie was walking behind her carrying AC and could only gasp when she saw Toni falter. Luckily Toni had regained most of the strength she had before the birth of the twins and was able to grab a railing and prevent a fall. Benjy started wailing and AC buried his head against Minnie.

"Whew, these storms lately have really been loud! No worries about a drought this year but I would really appreciate a gentle rainfall. My gardens are mud, and I can't get anything done outside."

"I hope that Hoss and Adam are inside now. With the roof and outside walls on our house now, they would at least be dry."

After two weeks of bed rest and then restricted activity, Doctor Martin had given his approval for Adam to go to the building site each day to oversee the building of a new home for Hoss and Minnie. He suggested a few hours per day and said no to riding a horse so each morning Hoss hitched up the carriage, and he and Adam went to the building site. Adam would inspect the progress made since his previous visit and then plan the construction for the rest of the day based on materials available and weather conditions. By noon if not earlier, Hoss or one of the workers would drive Adam back to his home. After lunch, Adam would entertain his sons until it was naptime.

After Minnie and Toni fed the boys and put them in their cradles for naps in front of the fireplace, Adam would go to his study to work on house plans. Toni was enormously grateful that he had been commissioned to design three homes that would sit high in Virginia City on Mt. Davidson because it kept Adam well occupied. The views from these homes would be spectacular and the owners each wanted a home that would stand out among all others. So as to avoid a conflict of interest and to satisfy each customer's demands, Adam had interviewed each of the men's wives to find something special they wanted in each of their homes.

One home design had a three-story entry with a grand staircase curving up one side and the candle chandelier hanging over the foyer that would be seen in the three story windows of the entranceway. Another house had a glassed in conservatory for a piano and an elaborate plaster mold rose design on the wall with a fireplace centered in it and a floor with a mosaic design much like one would find in a villa in France or Italy with crown molding and panels in the ceilings of each room similar to the rose wall. The third home was the one that Adam had the most fun designing. The man who ordered the plans was an inventor and entrepreneur and his wife loved to entertain but also seemed to like quiet times at home. Adam created a home plan with folding walls and extensive use of pocket doors so that the rooms could be cozy and comfortable when only the family was home, but for entertaining rooms could be expanded significantly with the doors slid away and the walls folded. Adam hoped that each house would please the owners but also let the many people prospering from the gold and silver mining in the Comstock see him as an architect who could design homes as well as any architect they could find in San Francisco or anywhere.

Adam's work on the house plans kept him busy so that the restrictions he had to accept from Dr. Martin and from Toni were accepted more easily. He was still a little grumpy because he was restricted to the house unless someone was with him, and he couldn't go anywhere unless someone drove him there. The other problem was that even though his injuries were healing with no complications, he had difficulty using his left arm and was in a great deal of pain if he tried. On his last visit, Paul had said that the two times Adam had been shot in that shoulder, the dislocation he had suffered, and now the gunshot to his upper arm and the damage to his shoulder blade were reasons for his immobility as well as the fact that for two weeks his arm had been strapped down and he couldn't use it at all. He had said he would do some reading and research to see if there was something that would help.

Additionally, Adam continued to have trouble sleeping because of the pain, and sometimes grew very frustrated as he was forced to draw house plans with mostly one arm. At those times, there were sometimes storms in the house as well as outside. Toni weathered his outbursts well because she understood the source, but when they frightened the children, she was not shy about telling him what to do. Having Hoss there in the evenings was a godsend too as he was the one best able to settle Adam down and get him to remember his blessings instead of concentrating on his troubles.

In mid July, Doctor Martin arrived at their home with a guest. He introduced her as Millicent Thatcher, a nurse, and then he went on to explain that she was from England and was one of a small group of nurses promoting the use of physical therapy to recover from injury. The field was just being developed, and there were no standard practices yet but some innovative work was being done. Nurse Thatcher had just been in San Francisco to speak at a symposium for hospital personnel who trained nurses. Dr. Martin had invited her to Virginia City and told her he had a challenging case she might be interested in reviewing. Toni was enthusiastic about her helping, but one look at Adam and the skepticism he had was all too clear. Toni asked for a few minutes to talk privately with Adam in his study.

"Is it that she's a woman or is it your general attitude that you can do it yourself?"

"You heard them say it's unproven. You seem very anxious to let her make decisions about my shoulder. What if she makes it worse? I can tolerate it now, but if it gets worse, it could stop me from working altogether."

"Can we please at least hear her out? Let her examine you and see what she has to say. How could that hurt?" Adam raised an eyebrow. "She's only looking at your shoulder. I would think your modesty could handle that."

"It's not my modesty that is the issue. You would like to let her experiment on me with some inventive therapy that no one has studied adequately. I don't want to be an experiment!"

"All right. Just let her look at you and give her medical opinion. Then it's up to you."

Adam reluctantly nodded and Toni emerged from the study and told Nurse Thatcher and Doctor Martin that Adam had consented to an exam. Nurse Thatcher had heard Adam's complaints about her methodology.

"This is not an invention. We are trying to learn what the Greeks, Romans, and even the Egyptians seemed to have known two thousand years ago. This therapy hopes to build on their expertise and develop a modern version of it. Perhaps if you had studied some history, you would know that these ancient empires had knowledge far beyond ours in some areas."

Ooh, Toni could almost imagine the steam in Adam over that statement so she intervened before he could blow.

"Perhaps my husband spent so much time studying architecture, engineering, and business at the university in Boston, that he may have missed a few things about those cultures."

Adam shot Toni a black look, but Nurse Thatcher looked at him with renewed interest. She decided that perhaps, she would be able to explain things in a clinical manner, and he would understand better what she was attempting. After the exam of his arm and shoulder, and then muscles of his chest and back, which was more than Adam expected, Nurse Thatcher stood with a pensive look on her face.

"This case is complicated. There are so many injuries to consider. The musculature in general has adequate tone, but there would need to be numerous methods used to improve strength and mobility, and I don't know if any solution exists for the pain."

Adam mainly reacted to the word 'adequate' in describing his musculature, but in his mind the pain issue held sway. Directing her comments to Adam, Nurse Thatcher was blunt.

"Most of my work has centered on increasing mobility, strength, and range of motion. I do not know how the pain centered in the shoulder would react to any program of massage and exercise I could recommend, and I do not know of anyone in this area with the expertise to do all this work with you. You need an extensive rehabilitation if you are to regain full use of your arm. I suspect that you have not had full use of that arm in some time and that because you are right-handed, you were able to compensate. Now however, there is too much that is lost and the weakness and limited mobility are obvious."

"Toni did quite a bit of massage with Adam when he was injured a year ago. His arms, legs, and back needed to be massaged several times daily to keep flexibility and prevent cramping as he recovered from a wound, broken bones, and numerous contusions. Could she be trained to do a specific set of exercises with him?"

"It is possible. Though I only have a couple of days, and then I must be on my way to St. Louis for another symposium. If we start today, we have three days to train her. It will have to be enough, but it will only be if the patient gives his approval." She gave Adam a look almost daring him to say no. He couldn't do it. "Doctor Martin, I would like you to send me regular reports on his progress and especially on the pain issue. It could be invaluable in my work and in my research. We hope to one day have a nurses' organization to train and certify people in physical therapy, but we are not there yet."

"Do I get a say in that?"

Toni and Dr. Paul looked at Adam and immediately said "No!"

Toni appended her statement. "I want to be trained to do this. It's only three days. Then you can decide how much of this you are willing to do, or if it scares you too much to try." She had thrown down a gauntlet and she knew it. There was going to be some storming in the house over the next few weeks she surmised.

For the next hour, Nurse Thatcher trained Toni on techniques to work the muscles in Adam's arms and upper chest but Adam was excused, and Toni practiced on Doctor Paul who was fascinated by what he was learning as well. Then Adam was brought in, and they had him sit on his study desk. Under Nurse Thatcher's supervision, very gently, Toni manipulated Adam's upper arm and massaged and stretched his back and chest muscles. Adam was reassured when he felt little discomfort from her therapy. The instructions were to do that therapy every few hours until Adam was able to do the exercise himself without Toni's help.

Nurse Thatcher made Adam a bit nervous though when she informed them that in the next two days she would teach them more extensive techniques for mobility and strengthening the muscles that would involve some pain. However, after two days of training and enduring two one hour sessions of the more extensive work, Adam found it was tolerable especially if it led to him being able to use his arm even if it was still painful. Toni was optimistic that the pain would be gone too but that was her nature. In many ways the two of them were so alike, but in this they were not. Toni's optimism and zest were counterbalanced by Adam's pessimism and skepticism to create a good working relationship in their marriage and in any task they set out to do including physical therapy.

Within a week of Nurse Thatcher's departure, Doctor Martin visited Adam to evaluate his progress so he could write a report to send to the nurse. Adam was smiling and Toni was ecstatic to show Paul how much more mobility Adam already had and how much stronger his arm already was. Paul asked Adam about the pain, and he had to admit he didn't think there was any improvement. Paul said that it had only been about a month since the injury so that the healing wasn't done, and perhaps he should hold out some hope yet.

Roy also stopped by on a regular basis. He updated Adam and Toni on his investigation into Adam's shooting and advised them to continue to be very careful. The miner that Adam had beaten for insulting Toni was called Zeke Walton, but Roy didn't believe that was his real name. Zeke had said things in town that led people to suspect he was involved in injuries to Marcus and to Adam but had not said anything incriminating yet. Roy had asked Sam and a few others he trusted to listen whenever Zeke was talking to see if they could pick up anything to be used against him. So far, he had nothing. Adam planned to continue to be watchful especially on weekends when Zeke wasn't working in the mine for twelve hours a day. His family and Tony were watching out for anyone who might be a threat too.

Ben and Joe did not visit much because they were trying to manage the ranch and the timber and lumber operations without any help from Adam. Finally by the end of July, they stopped by to visit and discuss ranch business. After pleasantries and asking how the therapy was progressing, ranch business was the next topic because the twins were asleep.

"Adam, the maps you drew of the logging roads that need to be built have confused the men in charge of building them. They seem to have spurs that go nowhere for no reason. I've tried to make sense of it, and so have Joe and Hoss, and we have no idea what you wanted."

"There are so many runaway teams where we lose wagons and have drivers and horses injured or even killed. I read some articles about how in some areas they create these breakaway roads on the steepest grades so that if a driver can get to one of them and the horses have to start pulling up hill, the wagon slows and stops instead of crashing. So I surveyed that region where we want the new logging roads in the spring and picked out a number of places where that might work."

"The problem oldest brother is that we have no idea what you really mean by that. You may be clear on it, but we aren't."

"Son, we have thought of a way for you to supervise the timber and lumber operations. If you could spend two days a week there, you could get them working on these projects, and you could explain the things they don't understand."

"Pa, I still can't ride, and I can't drive a wagon yet either."

"If Charlie could drive you there, then you could stay overnight and come back the next afternoon. It would give you time to recover from the trip, and time to get the crews working on your projects."

"What is it you aren't telling me?"

Joe and Ben shifted slightly and looked at each other. With a deep sigh, Ben turned to Adam.

"Without you there to supervise and plan, we have fallen well behind schedule to meet the contracts. We were hoping that if you could get up there and evaluate the situation, you could come up with some ideas on how to speed up the operation. Neither of us wanted to tell you that because we didn't want to push you to help if you thought it would be too difficult."

Toni didn't like the direction of the whole conversation. "Adam, I think it may be too soon. We have really just begun on your therapy and we were told not to take a break from it because you could lose much of what you have gained."

"Is there more?" Adam looked at his father and Joe who seemed to be nervous even though they had already described a major problem to him.

"The mill isn't getting enough water to push the wheel. I told Pa we need to find a way to divert more water but the spring floods moved the main channel of the stream so far away that we don't know if it can be done."

"So you would like me to look at that too."

Toni became very specific in her objections. "Adam, it sounds like too much. You still have the house for Hoss and Minnie to finish and to finish drawing those three house plans."

"I'll try a trip to the timber camp. We'll see how it goes."

One look at Toni's face and Ben and Joe decided it was a good time to say their goodbyes and get back to work. As they rode away, Joe snickered.

"Looks like another big storm brewing in the high country, Pa. Nothing like the one that's pounding through Adam's house about now though I bet."

"You may be right about that, you may be right. We should have talked to Adam when he was at the building site. Then he could have brought up each point with Toni when he thought it was best. What's done is done though. We'll have to wait and see if the storm produces nurturing rain or just a lot of thunder and lightning."

Chapter 3

Standing at the end of the front porch, Adam and Toni each stood in a fighter's stance although Adam only had one hand on a hip because his left arm was too sore for him to keep that left hand on his hip for very long. Toni didn't have that limitation and stood with both hands on hips and her chin jutted out.

"Sometimes I don't know how you can think like that if it is even thinking! You can worry about me, but I can't worry about you. Why is that? Because you're a man and I'm a woman?"

"No, it is because I think I can do this and I don't need to be treated like a child. You can't protect me from everything. I have a life. I want to live. Trapped in here and only allowed to leave with a guardian is suffocating."

Toni began to cry. She couldn't help it. She knew Adam was hurt by her attitude and her behavior, but she couldn't bear the thought of him dying. As her tears fell and she couldn't speak, Adam's temper diminished too. They had left the house to argue. They knew they would and didn't want to upset their children.

"I don't think you're ready to do all of this. It wasn't that long ago that you could barely walk, and you still have so much pain, trouble sleeping, and weakness in your arm. How is any of that going to be better with you spending hours in a wagon driving back and forth to the timber camp, walking through the trees, and sleeping there?"

"It isn't going to kill me to try is it? If it's too much for me, Charlie will be there, and he'll have me back here and in your care in no time. Then you can tell me 'I told you so' and lord it over me for months if not years."

"That would be fun, but I wouldn't enjoy it so much if you were suffering."

The volume had diminished, and they had started conversing. The argument was over, and Toni knew she had to concede this one. She had some conditions though.

"You will pack a mattress in the wagon as well as a tent and canvas. We can roll a mattress up from the bunkhouse. If you need to rest in the wagon, it is the only way you will be comfortable at all. There have been lots of storms this summer so a tent and canvas may be needed. You will take blankets and a warm quilt too. You need to do the exercises for your arm and shoulder while you're gone."

Wrapping his arms around Toni, Adam hugged her to him. After a few minutes, he used a couple of fingers to tip her chin up, caressed her cheek, and kissed her very gently.

"I know you will worry but try not to do too much of that. Nothing terrible is going to happen."

"Can you guarantee that?"

"You know that I can't, but you also know that the odds are with me. The trips to and from the timber camps are some of the safest I can make."

Adam told Charlie they would be going to the lumber camp the next day and sent Charlie to the Ponderosa to let Ben know the plan. As Adam and Toni walked to the house, Tony and two hands from the R&D rode into the yard leading ten horses. Tony directed his men to put them in the corrals.

"Now, darling daughter, there are the mares you ordered. I got some horses as well. They came in on the train earlier last week to Reno, and I send some of the boys to go and pick them up. There are four Morgans, two Kentucky mountain saddle horses, and four Andalusians as you ordered. The Andalusians are not purebred and neither are the Morgans, but they are fine specimens and because you plan to crossbreed anyway, our buyer thought you would be more impressed by the traits than by the lineage."

Adam was impressed by the Andalusians. He had never seen the breed and asked about their history, which Tony was happy to provide. With Sport and Tempest, he and Toni would be able to provide some reliable but also showy horses to sell as personal mounts and as carriage horses. The new wealth of the Comstock and San Francisco and all the area in between provided a good market for them. They hoped to develop a line of horses that would have as good a reputation as the Ponderosa horses did. They had never discussed it with Joe however, which was going to turn out to be a bigger problem than they had anticipated. However at that moment, Adam was happy that Toni would have something to distract her for the next couple of days. Secretly he wondered too if he was ready to work as much as his father hoped, but he felt he had to try.

The next morning, Adam kissed his sons and his wife goodbye. He could barely stay composed himself as tears slid down her cheeks as she bravely tried to smile and wish him a safe trip. He assured her he would be back in two days, climbed up on the wagon seat, and Charlie got the team started. Hoss was away on the upper range for a few days so it was Toni, Minnie, the Trainors, and the twins for two days.

Joe rode over in the late afternoon to check on things and make sure all was okay. He immediately saw the horses in the corrals. Toni was holding AC and Minnie had Benjy, and they were standing by the corrals admiring the new horses, which also seemed to fascinate the two boys who watched wide-eyed as the horses pranced around their new home. Joe had to ask why they had these new horses, and Toni explained their plan to develop their own horses for sale. He didn't say much and asked if everything was all right.

When Toni assured Joe that all was fine, he mounted up and headed for home. He had been civil but inside he was seething. He was angry because he thought Adam had undercut him. The horses were his responsibility on the Ponderosa, and he thought that Adam had plenty to do. To his way of thinking, Adam was trying to cut in on his part of the ranch. These thoughts just kept replaying in his head and his inner fury grew. He couldn't wait for the two days to be up so he could confront his brother who he convinced himself was a conniving, underhanded, sneaky brother who had betrayed him. At least that was how he saw it. He had heard but not really heard Toni's explanation of what they were doing, and that it was to be mainly her enterprise as it was something she had dreamed of doing for a long time. There was no attempt to interfere with Joe's horses because they had no intention of selling to the army nor developing saddle horses and cutting horses for the ranches in the area. His focus had only been on Adam having horses that he was going to use to breed horses for sale.

Up at the timber camp, Adam was having success. He met with the crew that was building the new logging roads, which already were cut in and only needed to be finished. After taking them to one of the spots on the road where they were unsure of what he wanted, he used diagrams, drawings, and then showed them the slope of the land until they understood what he wanted. The road would be finished soon which would speed up the process by removing many miles of road that the logs were being hauled on. Then he sat down with crew leaders and worked out a schedule for cutting and hauling to improve efficiency. On the second day, he planned to walk through a few sections of trees to see if there were some stands that would be more convenient to cut than those already marked for cutting. The final job would be to determine if any additional tools or materials would help speed up the process. Once back on the Ponderosa, those materials could be gathered and sent to the camp. The second day turned out to be more of a task than he anticipated so he was very tired by the time he climbed on the wagon with Charlie and they headed home.

"Boss we could spend the night and go home tomorrow."

"I would love to but Toni is probably worried sick already and every hour we take, she'll worry more. By tomorrow morning, I don't know what state she'll be in. If it gets to be too much for me, I'll roll out that mattress in the back and rest."

That was in fact exactly what happened. Adam was enjoying the scenery and the fresh air, but finally he had to admit he was so tired he might fall out of the wagon if he wasn't careful. He asked Charlie to stop the wagon, got out to unroll the mattress in the back, and then climbed in the back to lie down. Charlie tossed him one blanket to use as a pillow and then tossed him the other as he lay down.

"It's a little warm to wrap up in a blanket in the afternoon."

"I always sleep better with a blanket unless it is blazing hot. Just wrap it around your shoulders."

He did and as Charlie started the team moving again, he looked back and Adam was already asleep. He slept until they reached the Ponderosa main house. Adam wanted to give Ben a quick update before heading home. After he got out of the back of the wagon though the first person he saw was Joe heading toward him from the barn.

"Hey Joe, I got it done although I am really tired."

Joe walked up and shoved Adam back into the corral fence where the post unfortunately met up with his injured shoulder blade. Although mostly healed, it was still painful when any pressure was applied. Joe shouted at Adam about the horses and such but Adam was in too much pain and in shock so he didn't understand what Joe was talking about in the small snatches of his tirade that he actually heard. When Adam didn't answer or do anything, Joe stomped off to the house. He was so tired of Adam not listening to him especially because of what was happening now with the horses.

"Charlie, can I have a little help here. Just help me get back in the wagon. I think the report to Pa can wait until tomorrow."

Charlie had been standing by. If Joe intended to lay a hand on his brother again, Charlie meant to stop him even though normally he wouldn't interfere in family business. This was too much like bullying when one of the participants wasn't up to a fight though so he wasn't going to let it go any further. The point was moot when Joe stalked off though so instead he helped Adam get back in the wagon again.

Ben looked up when Joe entered the house. "I thought I heard a wagon."

"Adam."

"Did he say anything about how things are at the timber camp? Oh never mind, I'll go outside and ask him so he doesn't have to trudge all the way in here."

"He's gone."

"Why? What did he say?"

"Nothing. Then he left."

This was sounding ominous. "What happened?"

And it all came spilling out in angry jibes at Adam and what he was supposedly doing to Joe by setting up a competing horse business. Ben tried to keep control of his temper and assured him that could not be true.

"Oh sure, take his side. You always do. Perfect older brother never does anything wrong. Well what about the temper, the fights, and the gunfights, the gambling, and the brothels? He's arrogant and he can keep his sarcastic comments to himself from now on! He's not what you think he is, he just puts on a good show for you."

Joe stormed out of the house, got Cooch, and took off out of the yard. Ben tried to stop him but Joe was done talking. Ben wanted to go talk with Adam but it was already getting late, and he guessed that Adam probably had some fence mending of his own to do at home. Tomorrow morning would have to be soon enough.

At that point, Adam wasn't even home yet. Charlie drove slowly because he saw that Adam was in pain. Although Adam was tired, the pain wouldn't let him sleep so he felt every bump in the road although the mattress softened the impact. Charlie silently thanked Toni for being so insightful to know they would need it. Charlie drove as close to the house as he could. Toni came outside immediately, and he knew she had been waiting for them. She was scared when she saw Adam lying in the back of the wagon, but he smiled at her and asked for a little help. When Charlie told Toni what had happened, she sent him to get Dr. Martin. Adam glowered at him for both actions, but this was one time that Charlie thought he had to go over the boss' head for his own sake.

Doctor Martin wasn't available because he was with a patient but told Charlie he would come as soon as he could when Charlie described what had happened. At the house, Adam was trying to tell Toni what happened but had no answers to her questions as to why it happened as he was confused about it himself. When Toni heard Charlie return, she headed out to ask him if he could explain. He repeated what Joe had said, and Toni got angrier and angrier as she listened. She thanked Charlie for the information and headed back to discuss it with Adam where she reported to him what Joe had said.

"Your little brother is infuriating. He didn't listen to what I said at all. Then for him to punch you when he knew you were hurt is unforgivable."

"He didn't punch me, he just pushed. He was mad so he wasn't thinking. Joe will come around. He has a quick trigger temper and always has. He was probably already mad when you started talking so he didn't hear you."

"That's something else that he needs to change! If he just jumps to conclusions without all the facts then he isn't using the brain God gave him."

Benjy started to cry and AC laid his head down on the rug and rolled into a ball. Toni saw them and realized how her outburst was hurting her children. She went to Benjy and picked him up to cuddle him. Adam sat next to AC and caressed his back.

"I'll talk to Pa tomorrow and he'll talk to Joe. Hopefully he can straighten him out. Frankly, I don't have the energy for it right now. Pa should be here by early tomorrow anyway because I didn't get a chance to report on the progress at the timber camp."

Toni realized how tired Adam looked. She asked Minnie to help her get the boys ready for bed and told Adam to rest on the settee. When she returned to the great room, he was sound asleep, and she let him sleep there until Dr. Martin arrived. Paul was not at all happy to learn that Adam had made an overnight trip to the timber camp but admitted it was within the parameters of care that he had set. He was very surprised to learn what Joe had done.

"Your back is bruised and there may be some inflammation, but no serious damage has been done. Rest and ice packs will help if you have any ice. Stay close to home for a few days and no lifting. You can let Toni do the massage and stretching but the more extensive workout should wait until you see the bruising changing colors. You've been through this before: when it looks like an ugly rainbow, you're healing."

Relieved at Paul's diagnosis, Toni offered coffee and dinner which he gratefully accepted. Lily was soon out with dinner for Paul and Adam. After dinner, Paul departed and Adam went to bed. Toni and Minnie stayed up talking as Toni filled her in on what had been happening. Hoss was due back the next day, and Minnie was hoping that this new problem wouldn't interfere with them having some time together, and Toni assured her that would not be an issue. Toni expected Ben to be there the next morning and hoped he could intervene to resolve the problem. As expected, shortly after the ladies finished breakfast the next morning, there was a knock on the door and Ben was there. Toni told him that Adam was still in bed, but it was time for him to get up and have some breakfast so Ben could go upstairs and wake him. As usual, Adam was not wearing a nightshirt, and as he got out of bed, Ben was shocked at the bruising on his back.

"My God, what happened to you now? Did you have an accident or fall at the timber camp?"

"No, just a little collision with a corral post."

"Joe?" Adam nodded. "When I find him, he has a lot to answer for."

"Find him? What do you mean 'find him'? Where is he?"

"He left after he saw you yesterday and hasn't returned yet. What happened between the two of you?"

As well as he understood it, Adam filled his father in on the source of Joe's anger and how mistaken he was in his assumptions. "Toni has wanted to do this for a long time. There was never any plan to compete with Joe's horses. It's my fault that I never explained our plans to him but I guess I never expected this reaction from him. Hoss should be back later, and I hope the two of you can talk some sense into him. You know what a short fuse he has always had with me."

"You will not take the blame for this. Joe needs to think before he acts. You should have breakfast and update me on the timber operations as you eat. I'll handle Joe."

With the progress Adam had made, Ben was hopeful the timber contracts could be met on time but was very concerned with his youngest son. He wondered what was bothering him so much that this horse thing could set him off so quickly. He was impulsive and quick to anger but this outburst seemed extreme even for him.

 

Chapter 4

Sitting in his red leather chair and staring into the fireplace, Ben Cartwright was a troubled man. The pipe in his hand had long since gone out, but he hadn't yet noticed that. He had thought that the tension between Adam and Joe was gone with Adam married and in his own home but had found that in Joe, at least, it lurked beneath the surface and exploded with the slightest spark. He had gone to Hoss' building site with some basic instructions from Adam for the building crew and was impressed with the progress already made and suspected the home would be ready by September. At least one son seemed to have achieved some peace in his life. By the time, he had arrived home, Joe rode into the yard. Joe looked terrible which reflected the drinking, lack of sleep, and stress he felt. At least he had avoided Roy's jail. Well fueled by alcohol, he had vented his feelings about Adam but had found no relief from it. Now he looked at his father whose demeanor portended more unpleasantness.

"Men on the Ponderosa are expected to give a full day's labor every day from Monday through Friday."

"I bet Adam isn't working today!"

"And whose fault is that?"

"I didn't shoot him."

"No, but you slammed him into the corral fence so hard he needed a visit from the doctor and all because of your temper."

"I told you what he did."

"And you're wrong. You didn't listen to Toni, but you're going to listen to me."

Forcefully, Ben grabbed Joe's arm as he tried to stomp off to the house. Ben told him to listen and not interrupt. He explained what Toni's plans were and why Adam was supporting her. He described Adam's injury. Joe's head sank to his chest as he began to understand his fault in the situation. When Ben finished, Joe was quiet for just a moment.

"He should have told me before they did it."

"You will not place the blame on Adam. He said the same thing, and I wouldn't accept it from him either. Serious problems have faced him and Toni for some months now, and they had no reason to suspect that you would react so badly."

"I'll apologize to Adam. I'll probably have to think of something more to get Toni to accept my apology."

"Give it a little time. Adam will not be hurting so much in a few days, and Toni will have a chance to cool down. More importantly now, why are you so stressed about this, so angry? I was shocked to find that you would do what you did without even giving your brother a chance to explain or rather, from what I heard, even listening when he tried to explain. I feel there is something more going on here. What is really bothering you?"

Joe hung his head. He didn't want to talk about this, but he knew his father wouldn't let it rest. He guessed he might as well get it over with.

"Adam has everything. He has a wife, and two wonderful little boys. People are always talking about the great stuff he does, and now with him designing homes for rich folks in town, there's even more talk. He's the smart Cartwright, the talented one. He's got it all and now he has to breed horses too! Everywhere I go in town, people want to talk about Adam and ask me questions about Adam. I'm sick of talking about Adam. I want people to talk about me the way they talk about him."

"How much of this did Adam have when he was twenty-four?"

Joe looked at him and knew the point he was trying to make but didn't want to acknowledge it.

"Hoss has a wife, his own home soon, and people respect him too. But you never acted this way with him. I think it is because you and Adam are alike in many ways, and when you were younger, you wanted to be just like him. You can't be. Joseph, he is twelve years older than you and has spent a lot of time getting the respect he has now. You need to decide what kind of man you want to be and stop comparing yourself to Adam. In fact, I sincerely hope you don't wait until you are thirty-five to marry and have children."

Ben smiled, and Joe gave a half-hearted smile in response.

"That is one thing I could best him at isn't it?"

"Well, you certainly could, but then you better start looking. Time's a wasting!"

Ben and Joe laughed then. Later when Hoss arrived at the house, he found them talking and discussing how Joe could try to make things right. They filled Hoss in on the developments so he would understand the situation when he got to Adam's house. Hoss hoped it wouldn't interfere with his reunion with Minnie. He didn't have to fear. Toni and Lily had prepared some special foods for a picnic dinner. They had packed the basket of food, two blankets, candles, and some wine into the carriage, which was waiting for Hoss to return. Their new home was ready to be a setting for a romantic candlelight picnic dinner.

By late afternoon, there was water heating for a bath and clean clothes for Hoss in the washroom. Toni wanted Hoss and Minnie to have some special time. She appreciated the help that Minnie had given her with the twins although it was less demanding now. AC was sleeping through each night and Benjy only awoke for one feeding. Lily had been making some hot rice cereal, which both boys liked, and they had a small amount several times a day. Toni could not keep up with their appetites with nursing alone. Both were growing rapidly although Benjy was much heavier than AC who was taller. Both boys had pleasant demeanors though AC was more reserved and likely to observe behavior, and he was fascinated by anything new. Benjy responded with smiles and laughter to attention and physical play.

Because of the pain in Adam's shoulder, he was unable to hold the more active Benjy. After their afternoon nap, he lay on the rug in front of the fireplace and entertained Benjy by making faces and tickling him. Benjy couldn't stop laughing and giggling. AC was leaning against Adam's left side and holding on to his shirt tightly as he smiled at his brother's laughter and his father's funny faces. Adam put his left hand on AC's back and was rewarded with a full dimpled grin. Toni walked out of the kitchen after finishing preparations for dinner and had to smile at her family. Less than two years ago, she could never have imagined this for herself.

Adam and Toni never saw Hoss that day. They heard him ride into the yard and about fifteen minutes later, they heard the carriage leave. By the time twilight arrived, the boys were sleeping and Adam and Toni headed to bed. As they snuggled in bed, they heard the carriage arrive home.

"I'm going to miss Hoss and Minnie living here. They've been so helpful, but it's time for them to move to their own home. If the weather holds, we can have the house ready to move into in less than two weeks. One week if they're willing to put up with some rough floors. In either case, there would have to be some finishing work to do on the extra bedrooms later, but I don't think they will mind."

"How was it done so fast?"

"They didn't make changes in the design as we built, and it is a rustic design so it was simpler to build. The crew was used to working with me after the work on our house, and we communicated with ease. I think I might like to build the houses I design or at least a few of them if this crew would agree to stay with me."

"Don't you think you have enough to do now? Timber and lumber manager, horse breeder, architect, boss, father, husband."

"Well that's true, and I think I may have been neglecting that last one so I better get to work right now."

Adam wrapped his arms around Toni and began kissing her lips and then her neck as he worked his way down.

"I don't know why I even bother wearing a gown to bed when you are home."

Adam laughed as he helped pull her gown over her head.

"That's another reason for me not to wear a night shirt. Wasted effort when there are so many more desirable things to do."

The next few days were peaceful as they settled into their routines. On Saturday, Adam delivered house plans to his clients. Charlie drove him into town next so they could get supplies and pick up any mail with Charlie available to do the lifting at Toni's orders. There were several large heavy boxes, and Adam knew they had the last special materials he needed to finish the house for Hoss and Minnie. In one long box, there was a green stained glass window that would go in the transom above the dining room windows. The other box held delft tiles that would go on the wall behind and above the serving table there. Neither one appeared in the plans because they were a surprise gift to Hoss and Minnie for the help they had given to Adam and Toni for several months.

The following Saturday, the move of Hoss' and Minnie's belongings, furniture, and supplies to the new house took most of the day. As Minnie entered the dining room, she stopped so suddenly that Hoss almost ran into her. She gasped in surprise at the stained glass window and set the box she was carrying on the floor to walk to the window and admire it. As she turned, she saw the delft tile on the interior wall where the serving table would be and tears flowed down her face. Hoss had to smile: he appreciated Adam and his surprises even more. When Hoss saw Adam and Toni, the smile on his face let them know he liked the surprises. Minnie came rushing out and Toni stepped in front of Adam. He was finally feeling better and the pain was diminishing, but Toni worried that an exuberant Minnie might aggravate his injury again. Minnie immediately understood the move and walked up to Adam and embraced him gently.

Joe was helping with the move and Adam did his best to keep Toni away from him because each time she saw him, her eyes narrowed and her cheeks reddened. Adam had accepted Joe's apology as he had so many times in his life. He was afraid that someday he might say 'Sorry' wasn't enough, but that day had not arrived yet. Toni on the other hand was already at that point. Adam insisted she remain civil which she managed to do, but all three were relieved when it was time for her to return home to nurse the boys who had been left in Lily's care. Hoss and Minnie were a bit disappointed though because they had hoped to make an announcement of their news, but that would have to wait until Sunday once Toni had to leave.

With everything moved into the house and the furniture placed in the appropriate rooms, Ben, Joe, and the hands who had been helping left. Hoss and Minnie did the unpacking of the items that would need that night and the next morning.

"It is so quiet here."

"In less than seven months, it won't be."

Hoss and Minnie discussed whether they thought they would rather have a boy or a girl first. Then they discussed possible names. They continued the conversation in the kitchen as Minnie prepared dinner on her new stove. The kitchen and washroom were nearly identical to the ones in Adam's house because both had been impressed with how efficient that design was. After seeing the design work that Adam had done, Hoss realized how much Adam's creativity had been hindered by being so busy with ordinary ranch chores on the Ponderosa.

Adam was creative but not when it came to behavior and business. He valued his integrity and honesty and would not do anything that would be unethical or dishonest. This was something that some investors in the local mines and in a proposed railroad to compete with the Virginia and Truckee had discovered and now were plotting to destroy. There were plans that he would disrupt if he knew about them and significant wealth for these men was at risk. They had already tried to kill him and blame it on that troublesome agitator Walton. That had not worked so they discussed other ways to accomplish their goal. Once they discovered that Zeke Walton was in fact Paddy Fitzgerald, a notorious Molly Maguire, with a history of violent crimes attributed to him, one option stood out among all the others. Their greed was the one thing uniting them as well as the desire to get rid of Adam Cartwright. They had not been able to get near him for months because of the vigilance of the Ponderosa and the R&D ranches, but because nothing had happened, it seemed that everyone was relaxing and thinking that Zeke had acted out of anger and wouldn't try again. That theory worked well for the conspirators. While Hoss and Minnie unpacked, and Adam and Toni relaxed at home, plans were being made to shatter their peaceful lives.

 

Chapter 5

After the church service on Sunday, the Cartwright clan met outside the church near where they had left their buggies and horses. Hoss put his arm around Minnie's waist and coughed a few times to get everyone's attention. He couldn't wait any longer and take the chance at any more delays.

"We're having a baby."

There were hearty congratulations all around. Ben was very pleased and asked if everyone could come to dinner that evening to celebrate. Adam and Toni had to decline because they had already accepted an invitation to Tony's ranch, and it would be the first time the twins had been there. Ben asked if they at least could come for the afternoon, and they said the boys needed to nap. When he offered lunch, they had no excuses and accepted the invitation. Their reasons had been legitimate, but there also was not going to an effort on their part to get to the Ponderosa main house because Toni was still steamed at Joe. However now that they would be there, Adam hoped for the best but was still worried.

Joe was nervous too but hoped the gesture he was going to make would begin to heal the division in the family. When he got to the ranch, he readied his surprise and waited in the barn for Adam and Toni to arrive. If this worked, he hoped the tension at lunch would be diminished. Otherwise lunch was going to be a very uncomfortable time for him.

When Joe saw Adam and Toni arrive, he got ready to go meet them. He waited until both were out of the carriage and each had a boy in their arms. Then he walked out with his surprise. Adam and Toni turned to the noise behind them. Benjy squealed with delight. AC stared wide-eyed at the tallest horse he had ever met. He put his hand on Adam's cheek and pushed him to look at the horse as he pointed as if to say 'Look! Look!'. Joe was holding the lead rope on a magnificent stallion. Taller than most, his coloring was also unusual with a dark cinnamon coat and light colored mane and tail. He had strong lines and a broad chest. Any horse breeder would have been proud if his stable had produced this horse.

"My goodness, that horse is gorgeous." Unable to stop herself, Toni had to get closer to that magnificent stallion.

"Toni, I'm glad you like him." Joe walked over to Toni and handed her the lead. With a questioning look, Toni accepted and stepped closer to the animal as he lowered his head. Benjy tried to reach out to touch him. "I wanted to do something to show you that I am really sorry for what happened. I was a fool. This guy should be useful to you in your horse breeding business. He wouldn't make much of a cutting pony, I'm afraid."

"Oh Joe, this is too much."

"No Toni, it's not enough. But it's all I can do right now. Will you please accept him as my sincere apology?"

Adam walked next to Toni and put a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you brother, for everything. Yes, of course she will accept them. Won't you, sweetheart?" Some silent communication passed between the two and Toni nodded with tears in her eyes. Joe was what Adam said he was. "Does he have a name?"

"Not yet. I thought I should leave that up to you and Toni."

Toni had turned her attention back to the horse so she wouldn't start crying. It was close and both men could hear it in her voice. "Is his demeanor always like this? He seems so calm for a stallion, so regal."

"He gets pretty rambunctious when he's with a group of mares. But, yes he's usually like this."

"Then I would like to name him Zeus."

Toni tugged the lead and walked him around the yard. Zeus was very well behaved. Then she let Benjy touch his side, and although Benjy squealed with delight, Zeus stood quietly. Adam brought AC to his head and placed AC's hand on Zeus' cheek, and still the horse remained quiet. AC grinned up at his father and then looked back at the horse. It was like having their first pet. Ben, Hoss, and Minnie came out of the house and walked over to them to admire the horse. Joe brought some feed and water out, took the lead from Toni, and tied the it to the fence for the time being. Adam walked with Joe to the house as the others went ahead.

"Joe, the Army would have paid a small fortune to have him as an officer's mount. He has all the characteristics needed in a warhorse and the beauty and size that any officer would do anything to get. He probably would have ended up as the favored mount of a high-ranking officer. For you to give him to us is a grand gesture. Thank you."

"Maybe we could work together on some of the horse breeding. You and Toni could help me with breeding records, and we could share horses for breeding purposes. Those Andalusians she has could produce a great set of carriage horses for the Ponderosa."

"I think we can arrange for you to get two of the first offspring although not any stallion. We'll have to keep the males because they are very hard to get here. Of course, our stallions could cover any mare you wanted them to cover. You and Toni could talk that over whenever you wanted."

It seemed the trouble in the family was over, and they began to be very busy and very fulfilled. Over the next month, the timber contracts were completed on time. Adam continued with his therapy, but got more and more grumpy about it. Toni was relentless though, and he had to admit his strength and mobility were increasing and the pain was decreasing. Hoss and Minnie finished the bedrooms and had one decorated and furnished as a nursery. Adam crafted a cradle for them, and then Hoss carved in an intricate design of Ponderosa pines with many small animals bustling through them. Joe finished his horse contracts. Fall roundup began. The second drive of the year would reduce the herd so that there would be enough grass in the lower pastures and hay in the barns to get them through the winter. Zeus was spending his days in the corral with the Andalusians. Sport covered the Morgans, and Tempest covered the Kentucky mountain saddle horses. Toni hoped to someday acquire an Andalusian stallion but for now, this was the best she could do. Adam drew plans to expand the stable because they would need more space soon.

Although Adam was doing much better, he still was not going on the fall drive. Joe and Hoss were to handle it. Ben was to manage the ranch, and Adam would supervise the timber and lumber operations and begin inspections of the mines in which they had invested. Adam also had to draw a plan for a new mill because Joe had been correct in assuming the main channel of the stream had shifted too far to divert the water to the millpond. Adam's plan was to use existing material from the mill including the water wheel so that the expense and construction time would be minimal.

Although Charlie continued to ride along to do the heavy lifting, Adam was able to drive the wagon into town for supplies, to pick up and send mail, and to meet with potential clients who wanted house or other building plans. On one trip, Roy told him that Zeke Walton seemed to have left town. He hadn't shown up for work, and no one had seen him for two days. Adam wasn't surprised because miners frequently moved from town to town in the boom and bust cycle of mining towns and mines. He was relieved however that he didn't need to worry about him any more and looked forward to giving the news to Toni.

Within days however, the whole situation became ominous. A group of miners trespassing on the Ponderosa looking for gold found a shallow grave not far from Adam's house. After Roy and his deputies retrieved the body and it was identified as Zeke Walton, four other miners came forward to testify that they had seen Adam Cartwright arguing with him in town and that Adam had threatened to kill him. The majority owner of the mine where Zeke had been working demanded that Adam be arrested and charged. Roy had little choice so he rode out to talk with Adam and take him into custody.

"Roy, I haven't been to town without Charlie or Toni in months."

"Well you see the problem is that your alibi is your wife and a longtime employee who is very loyal to you."

"Roy, I didn't kill Zeke Walton!"

"I know that, but these four witnesses say they saw you with him and that you threatened him. Now he turns up dead and buried not more than a mile from your house. I don't have a choice in this."

Adam told Toni to get Marcus to ride to the Ponderosa and to tell his father. He asked Charlie to give him a ride to town. He kissed Toni, hugged her and the boys, and told Toni not to worry. When Roy brought out shackles, Toni was going to object but Adam said he understood even as Roy apologized. He asked Toni and Lily to take the boys inside.

Hours later, sitting in a cell in the Virginia City Jail, Adam wasn't surprised to hear Ben, Toni, and their lawyer enter the jail and begin talking loudly with Roy. He could hear the anger in his father's voice and the plaintive sound of his wife's voice and soon saw them as Roy escorted them back to his cell. Roy unlocked the cell and Toni rushed into his arms. Adam was unaccustomed to showing much affection in front of others but couldn't resist hugging and kissing his wife in this circumstance. Then however they had to get to work. Ben and Toni had met with Hiram before they ventured to the jail. With only a short time to work, Hiram described the case so far. Four miners from different mines claimed to hear Adam threaten to kill Zeke during an argument. Adam had beaten Zeke months earlier for insulting his wife Toni. Zeke's body was found in a grave about a mile from Adam's house on the Ponderosa where it was unlikely it would have been found except for the trespassing miners.

"It's not a strong case, but I've seen men convicted on less. The trial starts in two days. That's just one of the reasons this case stinks to high heaven. Having this happen when 'Hanging Judge' Reynolds is in town seems to be just one too many coincidences."

"What other coincidences?"

"Adam, all the witnesses work in mines in which you and your father have invested. The 'trespassing' miners do too. These are mines you are scheduled to inspect for safety."

"Anything else?"

"Adam, Zeke Walton is actually Paddy Fitzgerald, a Molly Maguire, who was here to organize a miners union and action against the owners. He provoked you because he was new here at the time and only identified you as an owner."

"Well, I still am so why does that matter?"

"Other miners informed him that you were committed to mine safety, pushed for higher wages for miners, and had secretly helped them in the early attempts to organize a union. He wasn't the type to apologize, but that's why you never heard from him again. He was not the one who shot you."

"How do you know this?"

"There was no reason for him to attack you by the time you were shot. Roy and I had discussed this earlier when we were trying to determine who might be the one who had shot you. Miners who were his friends don't think you killed him. When they heard you were arrested, they knew I was the family attorney and came to me with this additional information that I've shared. The miners believe there was a conspiracy to murder Paddy for his union organizing activity and blame you to get you out of the way so the other owners can increase profits by lowering wages and ignoring safety issues. Considering that most of the men they believe are involved are also investors in the proposed Truckee Railroad, there will probably be some scheme to sell watered stock in the mines and the railroad."

Ben took over some of the discussion with Hiram. "Why Adam and not me?"

"Ben, could you inspect a mine? Is there anyone you know and trust, other than Adam, with an engineering degree who could do these inspections?"

"But what about the witnesses?"

"Probably goons who have been working as spies for the owners all along."

"Hiram, can you prove any of this?"

"That unfortunately is 'no'. With the trial in two days, we have about thirty-six hours to gather evidence."

They all realized at that point that things were looking very bleak for Adam.

"We need help."

"I agree, Ben. Can you wire the governor to apprise him of the situation and get him involved? I need you and Adam to authorize funds so I can hire men to do some investigating. Roy will help because he knows this stinks to high heaven, but he can't do it alone with so little time."

Agreeing immediately to Hiram's request, Ben headed out to wire the governor. It was an expensive telegram because of the length, but it was necessary. Then he went to the bank and withdrew several thousand dollars to put at Hiram's disposal so he could hire men to investigate. Hiram stayed with Roy to discuss men who could investigate the case. Toni and Adam had little they could do except discuss how to handle things at their home.

By the next morning, the governor had sent two men with a surprising proposal. The governor and attorney general had been pursuing an investigation of the same mine owners who Hiram suspected of masterminding the case against Adam. The governor's plan would provide investigators and build a case against them, but they needed Adam to play along including the possibility that he would be convicted and possibly sentenced to hang. If that happened, the governor would reduce his sentence to prison time and order that he be held in solitary confinement so he would not be harmed.

Ben and Toni were shocked by the proposal and that Adam did not immediately reject the idea. He seemed to be considering it.

With his usual directness, Adam asked how his conviction and imprisonment would help. The agents said that they had men in place to observe what these men did next. If they proceeded as expected, there would be enough evidence of corruption within a few weeks to arrest all of them and their 'witnesses' as well as Judge Reynolds who was suspected of accepting bribes to do their bidding. At that point, Adam would be released and exonerated which would happen as well if they were unable to build the case.

Toni didn't want Adam to cooperate. "Adam, you can't do this. Your sons need you. I need you. This is too great a risk."

Ben sympathized with Toni completely, but he knew his son and so did the governor. This appeal to Adam's sense of duty and justice was well orchestrated. Hiram asked if all of this would be in writing and signed off by the governor and the attorney general. The governor had expected that, and the agents answered yes and offered Hiram documents for him to peruse.

Adam asked if Dan from the Territorial Enterprise could be read in to the case and offered the chance to write the story once it was over. Hiram approved of that wholeheartedly as it was one more guarantee that promises would be kept. One of the agents went to wire the request to the governor and would stand by for the response. They did not entirely trust the telegraph operator in town so he planned to send the message himself after removing the man from his office for a time. He came back with an affirmative answer, which included a stipulation that no one else was to know of this deal.

Toni was not at all convinced that Adam should be doing this, but Adam used his logic to warn her of the potential of not cooperating.

"Sweetheart, some people have set me up to be convicted. Hiram will tell you there is a good chance that will happen. By agreeing to this proposal, if I'm convicted, I will have someone protecting me. Without it, I could be hanged or go to prison with no protection."

"Adam, it seems we have to weather one storm after another. When will it end?"

All he could do at that point was to wrap his arms around her and hold her. The other men were sympathetic knowing what a difficult position she was in and the precarious position in which Adam was stuck.

 

Chapter 6

As expected, thirty-six hours wasn't enough time to prepare for a criminal case. Adam and his lawyer did not have an adequate defense. They could try to poke holes in the prosecution case but that was a big gamble. Hiram moved for more time to prepare a defense and it was denied. The people seated on the jury were almost all newcomers to Virginia City who had arrived in the last great population increase. With so much unemployment due to mine closures and layoffs, there was bound to be some resentment against a wealthy man especially one accused of killing a working man. A motion for a change of venue was also denied. Hiram had warned Adam that he didn't expect any cooperation from the judge especially after what they had been told by the agents sent from the governor's office.

"Hiram, is everything that the governor promised to me legal?"

Pausing and wondering for a moment why Adam would ask such a question, Hiram had an answer. "If you're worried that somehow the whole deal that you agreed to cooperate fully in will stand the test of law, the answer is yes. There is nothing in it that is in any way illegal. There is no collusion, bribery, or fraud. There is nothing that can be charged to political corruption in any form. The governor gains nothing from doing what he is doing for you and likely in fact could lose support from some quarters. I suspect that he is more concerned, at this stage of his career, with the legacy he is leaving and doesn't want the stain these men could make."

"But they're not going after him."

"Crooked investors and a crooked judge aren't likely to stop with Virginia City. You know that greed for money and power is never satisfied. If successful here, they will keep expanding their grasp. He knows that, and he knows this is the time to stop them when they lack the resources to fight him."

"So I'm a convenient tool for his purposes."

"That about sums it up, but Adam, be thankful that you are. Without his help, this whole case would be looking far more dire. You face some unpleasantness, but ultimately, this will all turn out favorably for you. Without his help, we couldn't be sure of that."

By the time of the trial, the whole family was together and supporting Adam and helping Toni. Joe and Hoss had hurried home from the cattle drive and sat directly behind the defense table with Ben and Toni. Many people were working behind the scenes to try to build a case against those conspiring against Adam, but they needed more time to dig into the case and find people willing to speak up. His best bet to avoid the gallows at this time was to go along with the governor's plan. Toni and Ben had agreed as well for no one could find a better solution. They explained it all to Joe and Hoss who didn't like it any better than they did but also had no better idea of how to fight such a well orchestrated setup.

As expected, the prosecution had their witnesses to the altercation between 'Zeke' and Adam out first. Hiram did not want to let the other side know that they knew Paddy Fitzgerald was the name of the dead man. They had to play along as if the conspiracy was actually working. Dan sat in the courtroom and took volumes of notes. When he wrote this story later, he wanted everything to be factual and thorough. Hiram did question these witnesses who admitted that Adam had been provoked. Next up the prosecution trotted out the men who had supposedly heard Adam's threat to the deceased. They were rather vague in describing the encounter with the excuse that none of them thought it was that important and only recalled it after they heard that 'Zeke' was missing and then found dead. Finally there were the 'trespassers' who had found the body conveniently located near Adam's home on the Ponderosa. Hiram was not able to shake any of the testimony of these men who were obviously well rehearsed and without conscience.

Then the prosecution shocked the defense by calling Joe Cartwright to the stand. Hiram objected because he had no advance warning of this witness and was therefore unprepared. The objection like every motion and objection he made was refused. It was becoming apparent that the judge wanted a conviction in this case. In an ordinary case, Hiram already would have had ample grounds for appeal. The prosecution and judge weren't worried though because they expected the hanging to occur before an appeal could be granted. Without the offer by the governor, Adam would already be a dead man walking. Joe nervously rose and walked to the witness chair to be sworn in. Joe had no idea why he had been called, but Hiram and Roy had a pretty good idea what was going to happen, and both Ben and Adam suspected the reason. Hiram asked for a short recess and was denied.

After Joe was sworn in, the prosecutor asked to treat Joe as a hostile witness because he was the brother of the defendant. That motion was of course granted allowing the prosecutor to ask leading questions of his own witness. Dan was suddenly becoming aware that the corruption he had been told about concerning the mine owners probably also included the judge and the prosecutor. Although he had not yet been told about those suspicions, it was easy to see how the two were orchestrating this case to ensure a conviction so a conclusion that they were involved was only logical. He began to make separate notes about their behavior, and the more he observed, the more he noted how they communicated silently with each other. He looked back frequently too to see the mine owners trading self-satisfied looks each time the judge denied one of the motions made by Hiram or overruled an objection he made. If it was bribery, they apparently thought it was money well spent. Dan made a note to himself to check into the judge's finances and to check the prosecutor's. Seeing if they were living far better than their salaries indicated that they could and that would be additional and useful information for him. He guessed that the state investigators were probably already checking that out. He turned back to the witness stand as the questioning of Joe began in earnest.

"Does your brother Adam have a temper?"

"Well every…"

"Just answer the question please."

"I can't just answer the question."

Judge Reynolds admonished Joe that he could only answer what was asked and briefly with a yes or no if possible or he would face contempt of court charges and go to jail. Next to Adam, Hiram sighed because there was no way this would turn out well.

"Now again, does your brother have a temper?"

"Yes."

"Did you witness that temper when he assaulted Zeke Walton?"

"Yes."

"Did you think it was possible that he would have killed Zeke Walton that night if your brother Hoss had not stopped him?"

Joe paused and looked at Adam and at his father.

"Answer the question please."

At this point, Joe realized he already had by delaying so he softly said 'Yes'.

"Were you recently in town and complaining loudly to anyone who would listen that your brother Adam Cartwright was a conniving, dishonest, lying 'bastard'?"

Again very softly, Joe said 'Yes'. He knew he was guaranteeing a conviction with his answers but had no idea what to do. He looked at Adam who was watching him with an unreadable expression. Adam was suffering inside knowing how painful this must be for his brother. Hiram had no questions at this point because he didn't know the circumstances of Joe's condemnation of Adam. He asked to be able to recall the witness later, and that was denied.

In the back of the courtroom, Sheriff Roy Coffee stood observing and drew some fo the same conclusions that Dan had drawn. He began to make plans to investigate the prosecutor. It was clear that Adam was being railroaded. Roy had always thought that Thad Davis was honest, but it appeared now that he was working with the judge to manipulate this case. During a small break between witnesses, Clem leaned over and asked Roy if he should go start digging around for the investments that Davis had. He had the same thought as Roy. Roy nodded, and Clem left.

The prosecution rested, and the judge asked Hiram to present his case. As expected, Hiram made a motion for some time to prepare and was denied. Forced to continue, he called Toni and Charlie to testify that Adam never went to town without one of them in the weeks after he had been shot because he couldn't drive the wagon and later because he couldn't lift anything heavy. He called Dr. Paul Martin who testified that Adam could not have lifted a man of Zeke's size into a wagon, dug a grave, placed him in it, and buried him because of the damage to his shoulder. He called a few character witnesses, but it was to no avail. The jury went out, debated the case until that the next day, and returned the next afternoon with a guilty verdict. The judge immediately sentenced Adam to hang the following day at sunset and told him to get his affairs in order.

Shocked beyond measure by the speed at which the sentence was to be carried out, Hiram stated his objections and asked for a delay. Of course, it was denied. The family gathered to follow Adam who was taken in shackles to the jail by Roy. There was a large crowd of miners outside the courthouse, but they remained silent as Adam walked through their midst. The same people who made their lives difficult were about to take this man's life, and they felt as helpless as Adam's family. As the mine owners, both public and secret, watched the procession to the jail they wondered at the silence. They had expected taunting and perhaps even an attempt to lynch the man who had killed one of their own. They didn't know what to make of the silence in the street, but finally dismissed it as unimportant because they had some business to discuss now that Adam was out of the picture permanently. Unknown to them, two of the men they were meeting with were agents of the government of Nevada.

At the jail, Toni was inconsolable even though she had been warned by Hiram and by Adam that this was likely to be the result. Hearing it was far more difficult than she had imagined it would be. Roy let her sit in the cell with Adam and they talked quietly while all the others waited in Roy's office area. Within an hour, the hammering and pounding of building a gallows could be heard.

"They had them all set to go before anyone knew we would have a verdict today."

Roy almost said more but realized he should not. The family's grief over the verdict and the agony in their faces helped sell the deal that the conspiracy was working, but there was no reason to remind them of how bad it could have been. The telegraph office was closed for the night so the telegraph to the governor and his response had to wait until morning. It would be a nerve wracking fourteen hours. A lot of prayers were said in that jail and at the hotel that night especially by those who knew that telegram and its answer were essential.

Finally the sun rose and at eight, Hiram and Ben hurried to the telegraph office. The governor's agent 'just happened' to arrive there at the same time they did. They wanted to ensure that the message was sent accurately, and that the response was recorded accurately as well. Adam's life depended on it. By nine, they could relax a little as the answer was there and could be delivered to Roy who was happy to head over to the judge's office to deliver the official governor's order to reduce Adam's sentence from death by hanging to twenty years in prison. The judge was incensed but had no choice. He signed an order for Adam to ride the next prison wagon to Nevada State Prison.

The other good news for Adam was that the prison wagon had recently been in Virginia City and wasn't scheduled to return for seven to ten days. That meant he would spend less time in prison because he could stay in Roy's jail until the prison wagon arrived. Hoss and Joe said they would accompany the prison wagon to be sure that nothing happened to Adam on the way. The governor's agents got confirmation from the governor that Hoss and Joe could have temporary status as prison guards so that they had a legal right to be with the wagon. They didn't feel too good about escorting their brother to prison, but it was better than leaving him in the hands of strangers.

Joe's guilt over his testimony and the role it played in Adam's conviction was causing him immense grief. He couldn't sleep and even in a few days, the weight loss, and fatigue lines in his face were evident. Adam asked if he could talk with him.

"Joe, you have to stop beating yourself up over your testimony. It was a set-up. Hiram will appeal. You should never have had to go up there without warning and without Hiram knowing the circumstances in which you made that statement."

"It doesn't really matter now does it. I lost my temper and said terrible things. I was wrong, but my words were dragged out there for the jury and everyone so they think I hate you. Sometimes I say things without thinking. It doesn't mean I mean them. I was mad, and you know I say stupid things sometimes when I'm mad. Adam, you have to know that I love you." Joe couldn't talk any more and began to sob. Once he got control, he confessed his sorrow. "I remember you telling me that one day my temper was going to get somebody killed. And here I've taken your life from you."

"I'll be out, Joe. I trust the system. Hiram will make it work, and I've got the governor on my side, and he's a very powerful man. When the facts come out, this will all just be a bad dream. Please trust me on this."

Adam reached through the bars to grab Joe's hand. Joe couldn't talk and began to cry again softly.

"Geez, you're the one in that cell, and I'm the one crying. Now that doesn't make any sense at all does it?" Joe gave a crooked little smile to Adam and got a similar one in return. Adam wasn't going to admit that at night when they were all gone, the tears flowed in this cell too. Toni came in and asked for time to say goodbye to Adam. She needed to get home to the boys.

"I'll be back early tomorrow."

They kissed through the bars and Toni walked out. Each day she had to fight to keep from collapsing as she walked away from that cell. Adam was under too much stress already so she had to be strong and not add to his worries. Her father waited outside for her and drove her home each day, and drove her into town each morning. At night, alone in bed, she cried herself to sleep.

 

Chapter 7

Ten days after Adam's conviction for murder, the prison wagon arrived in Virginia City. The prison guards came in and shackled his wrists and his ankles and then connected a chain between the two sets of shackles. He was not allowed any contact with Toni nor any member of his family who were forced to stand by and watch as he was manhandled into the wagon and the shackles on his ankles were attached to a chain in the floor. Toni couldn't help it and started weeping. Adam heard her but knew if he turned to look at her his stoic resolve would collapse and he wouldn't give his enemies that satisfaction. He stared at his feet in a picture of absolute dejection and misery. He wasn't acting for he couldn't imagine a worse day at this point.

For two days, they traveled through Nevada to the prison. Adam was allowed out of the wagon to relieve himself and for no other reason. He was forced to sleep on the bench inside the wagon with his ankles shackled to the floor. He was given food in a bowl and forced to eat with his fingers. Then water was poured in the bowl and that was what he had to drink. His chains and shackles were never removed and by the time the wagon arrived at the prison, his wrists were bleeding. Hoss and Joe had objected, but they were told by the regular wagon guards that it was standard practice and little cuts on his wrists would soon be the least of his problems. The guards laughed at that infuriating Hoss and Joe who could do nothing. Once at the prison, there was nothing more for Joe and Hoss to do but bid their brother goodbye as he was forced to walk in shackles into the prison itself. It was heartbreaking for them to see, and they talked very little on their two-day journey back home.

In the prison, Adam was greeted by the warden who informed him he was not happy to have a murderer in his prison and that any special treatment ordered by the governor would be followed but only at minimal standards. "He wants you in solitary so that's where you're going." He looked to the guard who had accompanied Adam to the warden's office. "Put him in the hole and don't be gentle about it."

The guard grabbed Adam and shoved him toward the warden's office door. He stumbled and fell which caused the guard to kick him several times as he screamed at Adam to get up. Once on his feet he was shoved outside into the hallway and then outside. The guard repeatedly slammed his baton in his back. Once they got outside though Adam realized it didn't hurt much when he did it, and even the kicks had been fairly mild. He turned to look back and the guard hit him in the face with the baton and his nose started to bleed. The guard started whispering to him.

"Good. Now play along. Spread that blood around as much as you can. When I hit you in the stomach now, fall down and start retching. When I kick you, fall over and try to cover your privates so I can't kick them again. The better you can act, the better the chance I have of keeping you alive."

For the next several minutes, Adam endured what appeared from a distance to be a severe beating. Mostly the punches and kicks were pulled and rarely connected although a few did get through.

"Squirm like you're in agony and use the time to rub some dirt around under your shirt. From a distance it will look like bruising."

By this time, they were nearly to the 'hole' and the guard grabbed Adam by an arm and more or less dragged him or so it appeared. Adam's shirt was pulled up and from a distance, the darkness underneath would look like he was bruised. At the 'hole', the guard ordered Adam to strip. Everything had to go until he was naked.

"You don't get anything in the 'hole'. It is supposed to be punishment not solitary confinement. He's following the letter of the orders he got but not the intent. I'll do what I can for you, but you need to be strong for the next week or so until we can get you out of here."

Once completely stripped, the guard shoved Adam into the hole and he fell face down on the dirt floor. It wasn't acting. He had been surprised by the shove. Then he heard the warden's voice and realized why it had happened. He curled into a ball on the floor and moaned softly. The warden pulled back the small metal peep hole in the door and shook his head in approval. By his estimation, this one wouldn't last a month.

It was hot in the 'hole' but Adam realized that the residual heat was probably all that he had to help him survive the night, which was likely to be quite cold. He wondered if he could live weeks like this. As darkness fell, a blanket was shoved through the slot in the middle of the door.

"Hide it up against the door in the morning. If anyone sees it, we both might have a hard time surviving your incarceration."

Adam gratefully wrapped the blanket around himself and leaned against the wall to sleep. He was exhausted and fell asleep more quickly than he thought he could. The next morning as soon as he saw light through cracks in the roof of the 'hole', he folded the blanket and pushed it up against the base of the door. He realized that anyone looking in at the round cell could see everything except the back of the door. He did not get anything to eat or drink that day. By that night, he was even more exhausted from the grueling heat of the day and dehydration. He began to worry that he would not survive this treatment.

The next morning, the door to the cell was opened shortly after dawn. He had not yet placed the blanket by the door. His guard yelled something and threw a bucket of water in the middle of the cell, set the pail down, and left locking the door behind him. Adam was mystified until he realized there was about two inches of water left in the bottom of the bucket. He drank it quickly before the bucket could be retrieved with its precious water. From outside the cell he heard voices.

"He was moaning and moaning about needing water so I hit him with a bucket of water. Now he's all chilled and sitting in a mudhole. That should shut him up." The warden nodded his approval and continued to his office.

Meanwhile the investigation into corruption was proceeding. Evidence was being gathered by agents of the governor as well as by paid informants the agents had been able to recruit with monetary rewards and promises of amnesty for their crimes. One week after Adam had first entered the 'hole', the two agents of the governor whom Ben had met arrived at the Ponderosa main house in late afternoon. When Ben answered the door, they quickly began to brief him on the case.

"This case is about to blow wide open. You need to have some men at those prison gates in just over two days at eight in the morning with these papers giving you custody of Adam Cartwright. We have all the papers you need here to give you the authority to do this. But you need to know that our investigation has uncovered that the warden is a secret shareholder in the proposed Truckee Railroad and is likely part of the conspiracy. We didn't suspect that when we made the deal to send your son to that prison."

"Then how can you be sure that Adam is still alive?"

"We have a man on the inside who was working another case and he has been doing his best to keep your son alive. He is at great risk too and will identify himself to you when you get there. Take him with you and arrest the warden. An arrest warrant is included in these papers."

"How many men will I need?"

"I would suggest that eight would be minimal. More if you can get them. Sheriff Coffee said he will send a deputy out here early to ride with you. You can't tell anyone anything until you are at least a day away from here. Then you can tell them the whole story if you want. In two days, there will be a mass coordinated arrest of all the people whom we have identified as participants in the conspiracy and the corruption. The arrests will begin at eight in the morning at each site so no one of them can warn another by telegrams or riders. They are being watched for the next forty-eight hours so that we will know their exact locations at that time."

After the left, Ben rode to ask Hoss and Tony to accompany him. He stopped by to let Toni know it was almost over but couldn't tell her much more. He asked Marcus and Charlie to accompany him without asking questions and they readily agreed. Once back home that evening, he talked to Joe who wanted answers, but Ben told him he had to wait. In the bunkhouse, when he asked, every man there agreed to go with no questions asked. He told them to pack their gear and that they would leave at dawn. Hop Sing was asked to prepare food in packs to feed twenty men for four days. Hop Sing informed Ben he was going too because Adam might need his care. Everyone tried to sleep that night, but few got more than a couple of hours of sleep.

At the prison, Adam was sleeping most of the time. He had grown very weak. His official ration of a bowl of beans and a piece of bread with a cup of water would have had him nearly dead by now. He got extra water with the bucket trick most days, and at night, bread, a potato, and occasionally an apple would be dropped through the slot in the door. Despite his best efforts, the 'hole' was really beginning to stink. He had to relieve himself on the dirt floor. He used the mud from the water that was thrown in to bury as much as he could but it was not working as well as he hoped, and it was also drawing insects into his cell so he had that to deal with as well.

Ben led his small army toward the prison. They rode hard the first day and were well over halfway there by nightfall. Ben told everyone the whole story or as much of it as he knew while they ate their dinner. Joe and Hoss were a little upset that they had not been informed earlier but Ben explained they were ordered by the governor not to tell anyone else. Most of the others were angry to hear the details about what had happened, but none of them had ever thought that Adam was capable of murder so they were not that surprised that he had been railroaded by the guilty parties.

By the end of the next day, Ben and his 'army' camped less than two miles from the prison. They discussed the plan for the next morning as they ate dinner. There could be no mistakes because Adam's life hung in the balance. Everyone agreed to do their part and slept well knowing they would be doing good work the next day. With the dawn, everyone was up, had breakfast, and waited for the signal to ride. At about twenty minutes to seven, Ben mounted up and the others followed. It was a sight to behold for the two guards at the gate who had never seen anything like it a little over an hour later seeing all those men ride up. Ben presented his authorization, the papers indicating that all of these men worked for the governor, and the paper ordering the release of Adam Cartwright into their custody. The men opened the gates and admitted the whole group. Several of Ben's men went to the towers to supervise the men there and make sure that nothing was done to stop Ben's men from doing what they needed to do. Two of his men guarded the main gate where they had entered and made sure the two men there didn't go anywhere. Ben and the rest of the group proceeded into the prison yard and were signaled by one of the guards who turned and unlocked the door behind him.

"He's in here. He needs help."

Ben, his sons, Marcus, Charlie, and Tony dismounted and hurried to the 'hole'. Ben gasped as he first saw his son. Adam was lying on his side with a dirty blanket over him. His face was crusted with dirt and dried blood. The stench from the cell was nearly overwhelming. Rushing in, Ben knelt by Adam's side, but soon Hoss gently pulled him aside so he could pick up his brother and carry him from the cell. He was going to remove the filthy blanket until he realized Adam was naked underneath it. Once outside, they examined Adam and found he had no major injuries but was dehydrated and weak from lack of food and water, and fighting the heat and cold of the cell.

"Hi Pa. I could really use a bath right after I get a big breakfast."

The guard who had saved Adam's life headed toward the warden's office after getting some of Ben's 'army' to accompany him. They arrested the warden, and with a sense of justice, they placed the shackles that Adam had worn on the warden instead.

Once the infirmary was pointed out to Ben, he had Hoss carry Adam there. Ben and Joe took charge of cleaning up Adam after Hoss helped them prepare a bath. First they used cloths to wipe as much of the filth from him as he could, and when the bath was ready, they gently scrubbed every part of him and washed his hair. Then Hoss helped Adam stand, and Joe got a bucket of clean warm water and poured it over him to rinse him thoroughly. Once Hoss helped him step out of the tub, Joe was there to wrap him in a clean sheet first and then Ben wrapped a clean blanket around that. They got him to an infirmary bed and had him lie down. Hop Sing took over then and found all the small wounds and abrasions he had and put ointment on all of them. Ben wanted Adam to sleep there for a while but he insisted he needed to leave the prison and get home to his wife and sons.

"Please, if you could put a mattress or two in a wagon, I can sleep as well or better than I would here worrying about my family."

They found a wagon, spread two infirmary mattresses in the back side by side, and then took sheets, blankets, and a pillow. Adam's clothes were found, but were too dirty to use so they borrowed an extra shirt from Tony. There were no extra drawers or pants, but Adam pointed out that he seldom slept in anything anyway so the sheets and blankets were fine with him. Joe climbed in the back of the wagon to keep Adam company, and Ben and Hoss got on the seat. Candy led their horses with a lead rope. So just a few hours after arriving at the prison, they started the trek back to Virginia City and the Ponderosa.

The wagons from the prison rolled into Virginia City late on the day after mass arrests had shocked the citizenry. Both wagons pulled up in front of the jail. Roy came out to see what the commotion was and was quite happy to see that Ben and his group had returned safely.

"We have a prisoner for you."

"Well now, Ben, my jail is full up after yesterday. You can take Adam there and keep him in your custody."

"No, Adam is already in my custody authorized by the governor. No, it's another prisoner I have for you. I have the prison warden here and the paperwork relating to his arrest, and one of the governor's agents who has some of the evidence against him. The warden's in shackles in the other wagon. He did his best to try to kill Adam, but he failed."

Adam pushed himself up on one elbow at that point to give a wave in Roy's direction before laying down again. Food, water, and rest were helping, but he still felt weak.

"Well, I'll see if I can find a space to squeeze in the varmint. Good seeing you and especially you Adam, but I'm guessing there's some other people who'd like to see him soon enough."

With that, they pulled out and headed toward the Ponderosa. They bid Tony goodbye at the road that led to his ranch. Adam rolled up on his elbow again because he was anxious to get home and knew he was very close now. They turned the wagon down the road to Adam's house and Hoss, Hop Sing, Candy, and the other hands kept going. When Ben stopped the wagon in front of the house, Toni came running out the door. She was terrified when she realized Adam was laying in the back of the wagon but relaxed as he raised up on his elbow again and smiled at her. Joe hopped out of the back of the wagon and helped Toni to climb in. She knelt at Adam's side and kissed him. Then she threw back the blanket to help him out of the wagon but quickly threw it back over him when she saw that all he was wearing was a shirt.

"Adam, you're naked."

"I know that sweetheart. I always sleep this way."

"But how are you going to walk into the house?"

"Well I thought I could just wrap this blanket around me, and with some help, stagger into the house."

Toni thought he was joking with that last part but realized he was serious when he slid out of the wagon and could barely stand by leaning on the back of the wagon. Ben and Joe got on either side of him and helped him into the house almost carrying him by the time they entered. Lily was sitting on the rug with the boys. Benjy squealed with delight to see his father but AC just stared at him. Ben and Joe helped get Adam to the settee. Toni ran up the stairs to get him some pants. She returned and laid them over the back of the settee. Ben and Joe offered to stay to help, but Toni said that Charlie and Marcus were there if they needed them. They left and Toni asked Adam if he was hungry.

"Yes, I'm hungry, but I'm even more thirsty. I will drink anything."

Lily went to the kitchen to get some food and drinks for Adam. Toni sat in a chair near his head occasionally reaching out to touch his hair or his face almost to prove to herself that he was here and the worst storm of their life had passed. Adam was laying on his right side and suddenly was eye to eye with a set a hazel eyes. AC had pulled himself into a standing position beside the settee. He was just tall enough to see over it.

"Well it looks like my eldest son has learned a new trick. Good job!"

As Adam smiled and talked to AC, his son grinned, and said 'mama'. Toni explained that she had been trying to get the boys to say mama to her but AC used it for everyone and everything now. Food he liked, the horses, her, Lily, and now Adam were all mama. Adam laughed at that and AC grinned at him but fell backwards onto his butt when he lost his hold on the settee. Adam and Toni laughed more then and were rewarded with a scowl that looked hilarious on a six-month-old boy, which caused even more uproarious laughter. Benjy started laughing too because this was the most fun he had had in a long time. Then AC scowled at him too and his parents couldn't stop laughing. In the kitchen, Lily couldn't stop the tears from flowing as she heard this wonderful family enjoying time together again.

Toni suggested that she help Adam get his pants on before Lily returned with his food and drink. She slipped them over his feet and pulled them up as far as his knees. Then Adam was able to lift his hips enough to pull them up and button them. Toni was shocked at his weight loss and how loosely the pants fit. Tony's large shirt had disguised his upper body so she had not realized how much he had lost. She took the blanket and sheet to the washroom, shed a few tears there, and then composed herself again. As she re-entered the kitchen, Lily was just finishing up the tray of food for Adam, and Toni asked her to set it on the table by the settee because she didn't think the two of them could get him to the dining table. Once all was served, Adam ate ravenously at first but found his appetite was quickly satisfied. But the water and coffee didn't quench his thirst so Toni went to the kitchen with the tray and returned with a glass of lemonade that he quickly drained.

"At some point are you going to tell me what happened to you in there?"

"At some point, yes, but I don't want to relive it right now. I will tell you that it was worse than I expected and not nearly as bad as it could have been. I was very lucky to have one of the governor's men helping me."

Toni sat next to him, and he hugged her and dropped his head to her shoulder. She was sure he was crying but wouldn't do or say anything to embarrass him. They sat that way for quite a while until Adam felt two small hands on his knee. He sat up slowly to see AC standing there and looking up at him with a serious and questioning look on his face. Adam leaned down and picked up his son and hugged him tightly and caressed his back. AC snuggled into Adam's shoulder and relaxed. He had missed his father immensely and felt that the world was good again.

Benjy crawled over to them on his elbows with his knees pushing, and Toni picked him up. He sat on her lap and smiled at his father and AC. Lily came back to collect the glass and Toni asked if she could get Marcus and Charlie to help Adam up to their bed. After the men got him up there, Toni and Lily got the boys ready for bed but carried them into the master bedroom to say good night to their father. Once the boys were settled in their cribs, Toni came back to help Adam get ready for bed. He had already removed Tony's shirt and had unbuttoned his pants but needed help to get them off. Toni drew back the covers and he slid his legs underneath. Then Toni undressed and slid under the covers too.

"No gown tonight?"

"I just want to be next to you, to feel you next to me."

Toni laid her head on his chest and he wrapped his right arm around her. He was too tired to do anything else at that point but was already wondering if tomorrow morning he would have the energy to be more active. With that thought, he fell asleep without realizing that Toni was thinking the exact same thought about him.

 

Chapter 8

The next morning at six, AC and Benjy made known their desire to get out of their cribs. Crying children effectively eliminated any thoughts of a romantic early morning interlude for Adam and Toni. Adam felt immensely better and had hoped to spend some time in bed but instead they got out of bed, dressed in their robes, and went to the nursery. Adam took charge of AC because he would quiet with attention and a clean diaper. Benjy rarely settled down until he was fed so Toni always took him first. At a pronounced 'Ouch' from Toni, Adam looked up from AC who was sitting in his lap as they rocked in the other rocking chair.

"Lately my breasts have gotten so very tender it's to the point that it can be uncomfortable to nurse especially with Benjy in the morning. I may have to wean them soon."

"They seem to be eating a lot anyway, and bottles would be more convenient."

Toni was a little disappointed. She had wanted to nurse them until they were a year old but had already supplemented nursing with bottles because she did not have enough milk to satisfy both boys. But she surprised herself and Adam when she snapped back at him.

"Your convenience isn't the issue here."

She was immediately contrite especially as Adam looked at her with worry.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you like that."

"I understand. This has been a very difficult month for you. We'll both probably have to be tolerant until we can let go of all the stress."

"Well you don't have to always be so understanding. You make me feel worse sometimes when you do that. Can't you just yell at me and get it out of your system?"

Adam looked at her speculatively.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that? Oh, I'm sorry. Here I go again."

"Toni, did you have your flow this month?"

"Well I did but with all the stress it was a little …"

"…light? Maybe a day?"

"Oh no. You don't think I could be? Oh it's too soon. The boys are only six months old!"

"Time for another visit with Paul?"

With a deep sigh, Toni shook her head yes. This could take some getting used to. Of course if they did have a girl, it could be so much fun, and Papa Ben would finally have a girl in the family. She would have to have all new clothes because she couldn't wear hand-me-downs from two boys. Toni looked up to see Adam grinning at her.

"Starting to like the idea already?"

"Yes, but this had better be a girl. We have enough Cartwright boys already."

Once the boys were satisfied, they took them in their room so they could dress. One played on the floor with them as the other dressed. Then they headed downstairs for breakfast. Adam stopped on the landing and when Toni looked back, he asked her to come back and get AC when she got Benjy in his chair. She was concerned but he said he just felt a little dizzy which would be better once he had something to eat and drink. Both boys sat in their chairs on either side of Toni and she fed them warm rice cereal made with rich cream. When they were finished with the cereal, Toni put them on the rug in front of the fireplace to play with wooden blocks, rings, and carved animals. As Adam and Toni ate breakfast, Benjy started giggling and Toni shot up out of her chair looking for AC who had climbed the first three steps of the stairs already and looked back with a triumphant grin at Toni as she crossed the room. She retrieved him and got a scowl for her effort. She asked Adam to help her push a trunk in front of the stairs.

"In the last two weeks, every time that Benjy is giggling, I know that AC has done something. He has no fear and he wants to climb. He is amazingly coordinated for such a little boy. Benjy can't do most of what AC is doing, but he enjoys the heck out of watching him do it and then me chasing after him. Don't leave anything where AC can pull himself up or he'll grab it."

"I wondered why the first three shelves of the bookcase in the study were empty."

"Your son is very smart about some things but he thinks books are to chew on and has no idea what 'no' means."

There was a knock on the door then, and when Adam answered, he found his father there.

"Well because you are officially in my custody, I thought I better check to make sure you hadn't snuck off in the night."

All three smiled at that because they knew Ben was worried about Adam and probably hadn't slept well last night because of it. He had to see him to be sure his boy was doing all right. They invited him to have breakfast but of course Hop Sing had already fed him although he thought a good hot cup of coffee sounded pretty good. Adam noticed how Ben watched every move that Lily made as she brought out coffee and placed a plate of scones on the dining table. Adam looked over at Toni and she had seen it too and flicked her eyebrows up at him. They were both thinking that maybe there was something going on there.

"Actually you are looking much better than I expected after the last two days. You could hardly walk last night."

"Two days riding in a wagon and eating trail chow wasn't exactly what I needed, but now I'm home with everything I need."

Benjy started giggling again, and Toni shot out of her seat again to find AC trying to scale the trunk by the stairs. After watching for a minute, she realized he wouldn't be able to do it so she returned and sat at the table again and filled Ben in on his rambunctious grandson.

"He sounds just like Adam at that age. He was curious about everything and feared nothing. It seemed I was constantly chasing after him. When he was seven, he wanted to go off to live with the Paiutes for a while. I had to track him down and bring him back home. He was so mad. He gets the stubborn streak from both sides of the family and wanted to do whatever he had decided to do regardless of the consequences. Eventually he settled down."

"When was that?"

"Oh, let me see, when he was about thirty-six and a half."

Toni and Ben laughed uproariously, but Adam just pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

"Daughter, are you worried that Benjy can't do what AC does?"

"Not at all. Let me show you something."

Adam and Ben followed her over to where Benjy was sitting. He had stacked all of the blocks and made a tower. It was a little lopsided but otherwise worked. AC crawled over and knocked it down. Benjy and AC laughed, and then Benjy got busy building again.

"They do that over and over. I think Benjy can even count in a very basic fashion or has a remarkable memory already. We were watching a few days ago when Charlie let the horses out into their corrals; one of the mares didn't come out right away. Benjy stared at the door until she appeared and then clapped his hands in delight. We were amazed. It was like he knew there was one more."

"You have two talented little boys but they're very different for twins."

Toni looked at Adam and he smiled at that. It was exactly what he hoped for in his sons that they could develop without being expected to be just like their twin. As they watched the boys play, there was another knock on the door, and Adam found Roy was there for a visit too.

"Thought I oughta let you know that you are officially no longer in custody because the trial and the verdict have been set aside, the charges have been dropped, and I brung ya a copy of the paper so you can see that most of the story is out there already. Dan says he will have the rest in the next edition and then will follow the trials and write those up as well."

Adam breathed a sigh of relief, and Toni came up to him and wrapped her arms around him. The storm was finally gone, and they were still standing. They asked Roy if he wanted coffee and a scone, and he said it was mighty neighborly of them and came inside. Roy listed all the people who had been arrested, and of course his list included Judge Reynolds and Prosecutor Davis as well as a number of wealthy men who owned interests in local mines and in the proposed Truckee Railroad. All were charged with various counts of corruption and some with murder and attempted murder. To get a lighter sentence, Reynolds, Davis, and the warden had agreed to provide information, name names, and testify at the trials of the others. Some of the 'witnesses' against Adam had been charged because they did it for a large cash incentive, but it was found that some did it because their families had been threatened. Those who had faced threats would not be charged as long as they testified truthfully at the trials of the others. With the secret records, informants, snitches, and now some of the parties involved testifying as well there was little doubt that the men would be convicted.

Roy said they should expect to see the governor's agents because they needed a statement from Adam about his treatment at the prison. They didn't have to wait long because there was another knock on the door and three men were there.

Adam greeted the men who had made the deal with him graciously, but met the third man with a hearty handshake and a slap on the shoulder. He turned to Toni and his father and introduced the man as his 'guard'ian angel who had saved his life in state prison. He asked the man his name and he said Dan Jamieson, but also introduced the others as Mike Jamieson and Nate Jamieson. They were brothers who began working for the governor when their father's ranch had been stolen away by railroad crooks.

"Our father never recovered from what they did and died from a stroke less than a year later. Mike's a lawyer and was already working for the attorney general. We talked it over and decided to join forces and help in investigating corruption to try to save other innocent folks from ending up like our pa."

"Thank you for saving my life. Toni, without Dan's water trick, I never would have had enough to drink. He threw water in the cell but always made sure that a few inches of water were in the bucket when he left it. The first night he slipped me a blanket. Every night, there was a piece of bread, a potato, or even an apple dropped through the slot into my cell. Pa, if you think I was in bad shape when you saw me, consider what it would have been if not for those gifts."

"Adam, I never gave you extra food at night. I worked days only. I had to sneak around to get that blanket to you. I wouldn't have risked it for a bit of food. One or more of the other guards must have felt badly for you and gave you the food."

They all digested that bit of information. There were some decent men working in indecent conditions and doing their best.

"We're going to be around here until the trials are over. We won't be testifying because we need to stay in the background but we'll make sure everything runs smoothly. If you need anything, let us know. The governor is grateful and wants to do whatever he needs to do to make sure that you are all right now."

They then retired to the study to get Adam's statement. Toni insisted on being included so that Adam would need to tell this story only once. Roy asked to sit in as well. Ben and Lily watched over the children. Lily didn't have grandchildren but if she had she wished they would be as sweet as these two. She also didn't mind spending time conversing with Adam's silver haired father. He was always such a gentleman with her.

After about an hour, the study door opened and the men took their leave. Adam and Toni looked drained. Ben suggested that he and Lily would be happy to take the boys over to the Ponderosa main house so that the two of them could have some quiet time together. Lily and Toni packed up all that they would need and dressed the boys warmly. They always loved riding in the carriage and watching the team pull. Marcus and Charlie hitched the team to the carriage and brought it around, and Ben, Lily, and the boys headed out. Ben yelled out that they would be back about dinnertime.

Adam caught Marcus' eye, and he smiled and nodded at the departing carriage. Adam winked because he knew Marcus saw it too and was apparently okay with it. Adam and Toni stepped back into the house to decompress from the ordeal that Adam's testimony had been. He hoped he would not have to repeat it at a trial. Toni didn't want to let go of him knowing what he had been through.

"How about a nap and then we can find something to keep us busy until the boys get home?"

"Toni, how about we get reacquainted in the tub with lots of warm water and suds, and then a nap followed by finding something to keep us busy until the boys get home?"

"I do like how you think, cowboy. Let's go heat some water."

 

Epilogue: Christmas

AC and Benjy were almost eight months old on their first Christmas. They were too young to understand anything about it but old enough to be the center of their family's festivities. Adam had crafted three small rocking horses and Hoss carved in manes on the head section. Toni crafted tails from heavy yarn. Two would be gifts for the twins on Christmas and the other would be stored until Hoss could present it to his child.

Minnie and Toni were due about the same time as it turned out so both families were looking forward to a new addition but Hoss' excitement far exceeded that of all of them combined it seemed. Joe would catch him daydreaming several times a day as they worked together making sure everything was ready for winter on the Ponderosa. Hoss was able to retaliate though as soon as Joe started seeing Faith Dawson on a regular basis because he would get that kind of 'angel eye dreamy face' as Minnie called it whenever he thought about her. At breakfast about a week before Christmas, Hoss and Minnie were discussing the couple and she had described Joe as looking at Faith that way so that you knew he was thinking about her when he looked that way.

"Did I ever look at you that way?"

"No Hoss you always looked anywhere but at me. You were so shy. It was adorable. Now you look at me in all sorts of ways. Some say you wonder what's for dinner, some say you're tired, and some looks say you want 'you know what'."

"What about Adam? Does he look at Toni that way?"

"No he always looks at her like she's a goddess. Of course he also looks like he wants to take her to the bedroom."

"Yeah I think you're right about that. I'd like ta see the look he gets when the boys interfere with his plans. Sounds like he and Toni are always chasing around after those boys who are getting into everything with AC leading the way usually."

"Hoss, we didn't know what to get them for Christmas. How about if we offer to take the boys for a day so that they can have a little quiet time for just the two of them?"

"I don't know, Minnie, those boys sound like they can be quite a job, and you're already five months pregnant."

"So is Toni and she runs around after them every day. It would be good practice too for when we have our own little one running around. I never took care of a baby before. Have you?"

"No. But these aren't babies. These are toddlers who are nearly walking and ain't got no more good sense than a rock."

"Just one day, please. We can pick them up in the morning after Christmas and bring them back the next morning. How much trouble can they be for just one day?"

Hoss agreed and Minnie made up a fancy certificate for one day's care and they put it in an envelope with a pretty blue bow glued to the top. On Christmas Day, they packed up all their gifts including that one and headed to the Ponderosa main house for family celebration of Christmas. There was quite a crowd at the house this day. Ben was sitting on the settee with Lily sharing some stories of his time at sea. Hoss looked at Adam who winked. All three sons expected the two of them to be a couple as soon as both of them admitted their attraction to the other. Joe was entertaining the twins with all sorts of stunts and silliness and had their rapt attention. Hoss went in search of Minnie because he had not seen her since gifts had been opened. As he neared the kitchen he heard Minnie giggling with Toni.

"He put the ribbon where?"

Oh lordy, Hoss knew he didn't want to be part of that conversation. He didn't wait for Toni's reply. He could come back later. When he did, he heard Toni warning Minnie of all the things the boys could get into. He was nervous about watching his nephews for a day but if Joe could entertain them and keep them out of trouble then it couldn't be too hard.

The next morning, Hoss and Minnie arrived at Adam's house to pick up the boys. They packed away all the things that Toni thought they would need to care for the boys for a full day. Now that they were weaned, it was much easier to let someone care for them for a while. The boys were excited to be riding in a carriage for the second day in a row so they were all smiles.

As the carriage headed out of the yard, Adam wrapped his arms around Toni and smiled at her with that look Minnie had described to Hoss. They had a very enjoyable time with each other and a very relaxing night of sleep as well after a satisfying day. As they were savoring their coffee after breakfast the next morning, they heard a carriage arrive, they grabbed their coats and rushed out to greet their sons. Adam took AC from Hoss and looked at him with a puzzled look. AC's hands and forearms appeared to be stained red. When Toni got Benjy from Minnie, he had what suspiciously looked like two tiny red handprints on his cheeks. Hoss finally turned to face Adam and Hoss was sporting a doozy of a shiner. Minnie climbed out of the carriage and limped to the back to unpack the twins' belongings.

"Don't ask, Adam, please don't ask. But I hafta say, Minnie and I are gonna start praying real hard that we have a little girl in April."


End file.
